Device for applying a fluid or pasty product onto keratin fibres comprising an orientable brush

ABSTRACT

A device for applying a fluid or pasty product onto keratin fibres includes a longitudinal axis (XX), a rod extending about the longitudinal axis, a brush with a core of elongated shape, having two ends, and a series of spikes distributed over said core. The brush is mounted on a mounting end of the rod that is free to rotate about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between an aligned position, in which the core extends along the longitudinal axis, and an inclined position, with the pivot axis being located at a middle section of the core located between the two ends of the core. The application device has means for indexing a position of the brush arranged in the vicinity of and around the pivot axis.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an applicator device for applying a fluid or pasty product to keratin fibers, comprising an orientable brush.

PRIOR ART

Commonly, applicator devices for applying a fluid or pasty product to keratin fibers, such as a mascara brush, have an elongate stem, at the end of which there is a brush that is in the continuation of the stem and is fixed so as not to be orientable with respect thereto. As a result, in order to make themselves up, a user of such a device is obliged to carry out more or less difficult hand movements in order to correctly orient the brush with respect to the eyelashes to be made up. In order to simplify the hand movements for making up the eyelashes, the document WO2018/115605, for instance, has proposed an applicator device having an orientable brush fitted at the end of the stern. However, such a device is complex in that the stern, which is hollow, has a coaxial sliding rod that makes it possible, with the aid of a toothed rack, to orient the brush located at the end of the stern, At the handle situated at the opposite end of the stern, the rod is put into action with the aid of an indexed pushbutton. The complexity of such an applicator device brings about high product costs and risks, as a result of the use and the quality of the pasty mascara products, of the rod getting stuck within the stem on account of the presence of the product.

It is therefore necessary to provide an applicator device that makes it possible to easily orient the brush situated at the end of the stern and is easy to manufacture and to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aim of the invention is to provide an applicator device for applying a fluid or pasty product to keratin fibers, comprising an orientable application brush that does not have the above drawbacks.

To this end, the invention provides an applicator device for applying a fluid or pasty product to keratin fibers, comprising a longitudinal axis, a stern extending along the longitudinal axis, a brush having a core of elongate shape, having two ends, and a series of spikes distributed over said core, the brush being fitted on a fitting end of the stern so as to be free to rotate about a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between an aligned position, in which the core extends along the longitudinal axis, and an inclined position, the pivot axis being situated in a middle portion of the core situated between the two ends of the core, the applicator device also having means for indexing a position of the brush that are arranged in the vicinity of and around the pivot axis.

Advantageously, but optionally, the applicator device according to the invention has at least one of the following technical features:

-   -   the means for indexing a position of the brush comprise a series         of indexing teeth;     -   the series of indexing teeth is disposed in a circular arc about         the pivot axis;     -   the series of indexing teeth forms a toothed rack;     -   the series of indexing teeth is provided in the middle portion         of the core;     -   the means for indexing a position of the brush comprise an         indexing finger arranged so as to cooperate with the series of         indexing teeth;     -   the indexing finger is provided at the fitting end of the stem;     -   with the fitting end of the stem having a U-shaped fitting fork         for the brush, the indexing finger is provided at a bottom of         the U of the fitting fork;     -   the brush is fitted on the fitting end of the stem by being         snap-fitted thereon;     -   the stem has a set of spikes distributed at the fitting end of         the stem; and,     -   in the inclined position, the core of elongate shape is inclined         with respect to the longitudinal axis by an angle of between 0         and 160°.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention. In the appended drawings:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of an applicator device according to the invention and of a reservoir;

FIG. 2 is a detail view in partial cross section illustrating an interaction between the applicator device in FIG. 1 and the reservoir;

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the applicator device in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the detail of the applicator device according to the invention in the region of a brush;

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded three-dimensional view he detail in FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the brush of the applicator device in FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional detail view of the fitting end of the stem of the applicator device in FIG. 3 ;

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are side views of the applicator device according to the invention illustrating two orientations of the brush;

FIG. 9 is an embodiment variant of the brush of he applicator device according to the invention;

FIGS. 10 to 12 are views illustrating use configurations of an applicator device according to the invention during hand movements for making up eyelashes.

For greater clarity, identical or similar elements are provided with identical reference signs throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1 , an applicator device 1 according to the invention has a stem 4 extending along a longitudinal axis XX illustrated in FIG. 3 , At a first end, the applicator device 1 according to the invention has a handling handle 41. At the opposite end of the stem 4, this end being known as the fitting end and bearing the reference 7, the applicator device 1 according to the invention has a brush 3. The applicator device 1 according to the invention is intended to be received in a reservoir 2 having a threaded opening 5 onto which the handling handle 41 is screwed, this then acting as a closure cap.

With reference to FIG. 2 , the reservoir 2 contains a volume of fluid or pasty product 120 into which the brush 3 is dipped when the applicator device 1 according to the invention is dosed on the reservoir 1. For this purpose, the brush 3, then the stem 4, pass through the threaded opening 5, which has a wiper 6 that makes it possible, when the applicator device 1 according to the invention is withdrawn from the reservoir 2, to partially wipe off the fluid or pasty product retained by the brush 3 as it passes through the wiper 6.

With reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 , the brush 3 is fitted so as to be free to rotate on the fitting end 7 of the stem 4. Rotation takes place about a pivot axis YY which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis XX of the stem 4 of the applicator device 1 according to the invention.

The brush 3 has an elongate core 15, of axis X′X′, comprising two ends 13 and 18 between which the elongate core 15 has a middle portion 151. In the middle portion 151, the brush 3 has a pair of pegs 10 that protrude from a surface of the elongate core 15 along the pivot axis YY. Moreover, the brush 3 has means 12, 16, 17 for indexing a position of the brush 3 with respect to the stem 4, which are arranged in the vicinity of and around the pegs 10 and, consequently, in the vicinity of and around the pivot axis YY. In this case, the indexing means comprise a series of indexing teeth 16, of which there are 3 here. The series of indexing teeth 16 is disposed in a circular arc around the pivot axis YY. The series of indexing teeth 16 protrudes from the surface of the middle portion 151 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis YY. In this case, for example, the series of indexing teeth 16 forms a toothed rack 12 which extends in a plane passing through the longitudinal axis X′X′ of the elongate core 15. In addition, the brush 3 comprises a series of spikes 14 distributed over at least a part of an outer surface of the elongate core 15, the series of spikes 14 protruding from the outer surface of the elongate core 15.

With additional reference to FIG. 7 , at the fitting end 7, the stem 4 has a fitting fork 111, which in this case is U-shaped, having two legs 11 that are parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis XX of the stem 4. The legs 11 of the fitting fork 111 each have a housing 110 intended to receive, when the brush 3 is fitted on the stem 4, the pegs 10 of the brush 3. The latter are received in the housings 110, in this case, by being snap-fitted perpendicularly both to the pivot axis YY and to the longitudinal axis XX of the stern 4. At the bottom of the U-shaped fitting fork 111, the means 12, 16, 17 for indexing a position have an indexing finger 17 arranged so as to cooperate with the series of indexing teeth 16 when the brush 3 is fitted on the stem 4 of the applicator device 1 according to the invention. In addition, the fitting end 7 of the stern 4 has a receiving housing 81 provided parallel to the longitudinal axis XX of the stern 4 from the fitting fork 111 as far as an end stop 8. This receiving housing 81 is designed to receive a part of the middle portion 151 of the elongate core 15, this part being situated between the pegs 10 and the end 13 of the elongate core 15. In addition, when the receiving housing 81 receives this part of the middle portion 151, the end 13 of the elongate core 15 cooperates by snap-fitting with the end stop 8 so as to keep the brush 3 in alignment with the stem 4 when said brush 3 is in an aligned position in which the elongate core 15 extends along the longitudinal axis XX, the axis X′X′ of the elongate core 15 being parallel to the longitudinal axis XX.

At the fitting end 7 of the stern 4, there are also a set of spikes 71 that protrude from an outer surface of the stem 4 and are situated diametrically with respect to the abovementioned receiving housing 81. In an embodiment variant, these spikes 71 are not present, as is illustrated for example in FIG. 4 .

With reference to FIG. 9 , an embodiment variant of a brush 30 intended for the applicator device 1 according to the invention will be briefly described. The brush 30 differs from the above-described brush 3 in that the brush 30 has an arch 32 extending away from an outer surface of the elongate core 15 between the ends 13 and 18 of said elongate core 15, the arch 32 being embedded at each of its ends in the elongate core 15. Moreover, the arch 32 has, on a radially outer surface, a series of spikes 14 a. In an embodiment variant, the brush 30 has two or more arches 32 arranged on a circumference or on a circumferential portion of the elongate core 15.

With reference to FIGS. 8 a and 8 b , two different inclined positions that the brush 3 can take up at the fitting end 7 of the stern 4 of the applicator device 1 according to the invention are illustrated. FIG. 8 a illustrates a position of the brush 3 with an inclination at an angle a, here, of between 0 and 90′. FIG. 8 b illustrates an inclined position of the brush 3 which is then perpendicular to the stem 4 of the applicator device 1 according to the invention. The value(s) that can be adopted effectively by the angle a depend on the number of teeth in the series of indexing teeth 16 provided on the middle portion 151 of the elongate core 15 of the brush 3. In an embodiment variant, the angle a can adopt one or more indexed values of between 0 and 160°.

With reference to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 , different configurations of the applicator device 1 according to the invention depending on the hand movements for making up the eyelashes 100 that are desired or used by a user of the applicator device 1 according to the invention are illustrated. FIG. 10 illustrates the configuration of the applicator device 1 according to the invention for conventional hand movements for making up the eyelashes 100 in which the brush 3 is in a position aligned with the stem 4, FIG. 11 illustrates a configuration of the applicator device 1 according to the invention for hand movements for making up the eyelashes 100 in which the brush 3 is in a position perpendicular to the stern 4. Lastly, FIG. 12 illustrates a configuration of the applicator device 1 according to the invention for hand movements for making up the eyelashes 100 in which the brush 3 is in an indexed inclined position at an angle a with respect to the stem 4. In the indexed inclined position in FIGS. 11 and 12 , in order to make the hand movements for making up the eyelashes 100 easier with a brush inclined at an angle a, of between 0 and 160° as indicated above, the brush 3 is kept in the predetermined indexed inclined position by the series of indexing teeth 16 which then cooperate with the indexing finger 17, this cooperation involving abutment of a lateral face of one of the indexing teeth 16 against the indexing finger 17.

It is apparent from the above that the use of an applicator device 1 according to the invention makes it possible to simply adapt the position of the brush 3 with respect to the stern 4, while allowing said brush 3 to be kept, with respect to the stem 4, in the inclined position chosen by the user from the values of the inclination angle α allowed by the series of indexing teeth 16 cooperating with the indexing finger 17. Such a structure of the applicator device 1 according to the invention makes it possible to adapt the latter to the user's hand movements for applying makeup in a simple and reliable manner; these hand movements for applying makeup then being more intuitive for the user. For example, when the brush 3 is in an inclined position with respect to the stern 4, in particular when the angle a is around 90°, the user does not need to change hands when they pass from one eye to the other when making up the eyelashes by carrying out an upward makeup application movement.

It should be noted, in addition, that once the applicator device 1 according to the invention is in a configuration in which the brush 3, 30 is inclined with respect to the stem 4, particular hand movements are not necessary before returning the applicator device 1 according to the invention into the reservoir 2 through the threaded opening 5 of said reservoir 2. This is because, while it is being put back, the brush 3 which is then in the indexed inclined position is introduced into the threaded opening 5 via its end 18, and then a simple rotational movement makes it possible to realign the axis X′X′ of the elongate core 15 with the axis XX of the stern 4 so as to make it possible to continue inserting the brush 3 into the reservoir 2 and then to tighten the handling handle 41 on the thread of the threaded opening 5. Similarly, while using the applicator device 1 according to the invention, the user can choose the inclination of the brush 3 with respect to the stem 4, via a simple rotational movement, before the end 18 is released from the threaded opening 5.

In an embodiment variant, the brush may be provided with spikes different than those that are illustrated in the figures, such as hooks or spikes of the petal type, etc.

Of course, it is possible to make numerous modifications to the invention without otherwise departing from its scope. 

1. An applicator device for applying a fluid or pasty product to keratin fibers, comprising a longitudinal axis (XX), a stem extending along the longitudinal axis, a brush having a core of elongate shape, having two ends, and a series of spikes distributed over said core, the brush being fitted on a fitting end of the stem so as to be free to rotate about a pivot axis (YY) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between an aligned position, in which the core extends along the longitudinal axis, and an inclined position, the pivot axis (YY) being situated in a middle portion of the core situated between the two ends of the core, characterized in that the applicator device has means for indexing a position of the brush that are arranged in the vicinity of and around the pivot axis.
 2. The applicator device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for indexing a position of the brush comprise a series of indexing teeth.
 3. The applicator device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the series of indexing teeth is disposed in a circular arc about the pivot axis.
 4. The applicator device according to claim, characterized in that the series of indexing teeth forms a toothed rack.
 5. The applicator device 4 according to claim 2, characterized in that the series of indexing teeth is provided in the middle portion of the core.
 6. The applicator device according to claim 2, characterized in that the means for indexing a position of the brush comprise an indexing finger arranged so as to cooperate with the series of indexing teeth.
 7. The applicator device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the indexing finger is provided at the fitting end of the stem.
 8. The applicator device according to claim 7, characterized in that, with the fitting end of the stem having a U-shaped fitting fork for the brush, the indexing finger is provided at a bottom of the U of the fitting fork.
 9. The applicator device according to claim 1, characterized in that the brush is fitted on the fitting end of the stem by being snap-fitted thereon.
 10. The applicator device according to claim 1, characterized in that the stem has a set of spikes distributed at the fitting end of the stem.
 11. The applicator device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the inclined position, the core of elongate shape is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis by an angle (α) of between 0° and 160°. 